AND

Church-Communion:

OR THE

Chriftians Duty

To Communicate conftantly with the

CHURCH Of England;

With a juft REPROOF Of several Novel and Schifmatical Notions and Practices, Particularly that of

Occafional Conformity;

Clearly stated and proved by way of
Question and Answer.

Suited to the well-meaning Country-man's Capacity. PSALM 87. 2. The Lord loveth the Gates of Sion more than all the Dwellings of Jacob.

By JOSEPH BRIGGS, Vicar of Kirkburton in the County of Tork.

LONDON, Printed by 7. H. for Philip Monckton, at the Star in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1704,

TO THE
HE

Most Reverend Father in God

JOHN,

By Divine Providence,

Ld. Arch-bishop of York, Primate of England,

And Metropolitan,

One of Her Majesty's Moft Honourable Privy-Council, &c.

I

May it please your Grace,

Have received with Great Pleasure the notice of feveral Pofitions afferted by Our Honourable Patriots in the late Conferences of the Great Senate of this Kingdom, which A 2 I take

I take to be found and ancient Principles of Catholick-Unity and Church-Communion, fuch as thefe.

That an Established Religion and a Nationa! Church are abfolutely necessary in a time when So many ill Men pretend to Inspiration, and when there are so many weak Men to follow them, which Pretenders and which Followers (as is expreffed in another Paragraph) if they could get the Power, never wanted the Will to deftroy the Church.

That Schifm is a Sin, a Spiritual Sin, whether there be a Temporal Law fuper added to make it an Offence or no.

That to feparate from a Church which bath nothing in it against a Mans Confcience to canform to it, is Schifm.

That Occafional Conformity declares a Man's Confcience will let him conform, and therefore fuch a Mans Non-conformity is a wil ful Sin.

That conforming and non-conforming ar Contradictions, and nothing but a firm Per fuafion, that the terms of Communion are finful and unlawful, can satisfie the one, and that doth plainly condemn the other.

That Occafional Communion is a fcanda lous Practice, and is a reproach to Religion, gives Offence to all good Chriftians, and to the beft of Diffenters themselves.

I have endeavoured to inftill thefe and the like Catholick Rules and Principles into that part of Your Graces Flock, over the which Divine Providence hath placed me, that come to hear me and for thofe that reject my Minifry (whom God forgive) I could not fatisfie my felf without expofing to their Eyes in this Treatife what they would not come to hear that if it may pleafe God to inspire them with that Ingenuity as to be willing to know their Duty to God, and to that part of the Catho lick Church, which is happily fettled and reformed in this Nation, they may not perifh for want of Knowledge, and in confidence of Your Fatherhoods cherishing whatever may tend to fo good an End, I am bound to offer my poor Endeavours to the Sanctuary of Your Graces Moft Eminent Candor and Charity, well-knowing Your Grace to be as cafe to please as ready to forgive.

For I will not prefume that I have done, oř can do any thing fo well as to ftand in no need of the Patronage of one as Good as Great; and if I can obtain that of Your Grace, I shall defire no better.

The Almighty God bless all Your Grace's Pious Endeavours to promote the Honour and Unity of our Holy Church, in thre which it hath pleafed him fo